Every Tool I Actually Used This Year
An ordinary finish hides a multitude of honest joinery. Every fix that involves a multimeter starts with 'let's see what we actually have'.…
Three Jigs for a Careful Home Shop
The wiring is simple, labeled, and photographed before the panel went on. The balcony version survives wind because of one extra bracket nobody will ever see. I built…
Wiring the Bench Power Supply without Burning Anything
Finished at 9 p.m. on Sunday, photographed badly, used daily since. I overdrilled exactly one hole, and it became a 'ventilation feature'. Sanding is where the project stops…
The Third Prototype Finally Works
I overdrilled exactly one hole, and it became a 'ventilation feature'. The wiring is simple, labeled, and photographed before the panel went on. Clamps are the currency of…
A Tool Wall for the Balcony, Rated for Wind
Measure twice is fine; the real skill is noticing the tape measure's hook has play. Sanding is where the project stops being lumber and starts being furniture.…
What I'd Do Differently on the Drill Press Stand Build
Sanding is where the project stops being lumber and starts being furniture. Clamps are the currency of the shop, and this build cost four of them simultaneously.…
Building a Strange Bench Power Supply from Scrap
The lamp dimmer took a weekend, minus the two evenings spent looking for the 4mm bit. Everything was cut from an old bed slat, which kept the stakes…
Wiring the Sharpening Station without Burning Anything
I built a jig for one cut and used it eleven times; jigs are promises to your future self. I overdrilled exactly one hole, and it became a…
Six Jigs for a Simple Home Shop
Everything was cut from an old bed slat, which kept the stakes pleasantly low. The first version was endless; the second taught the lesson; the third is standing…